Four More Ways to Boost Your Music Sales

In part one of this series, Bob covered Four Things You Can Do to Generate More Music Sales. In part two he offers four more actions you can take to increase your money-making potential with music. This post is adapted from Bob's book, The Five-Minute Music Marketer: 151 Easy Music Promotion Activities That Take 5 Minutes or Less.

1) Gather positive comments from fans

Have you ever heard the term “social proof”? It’s a reference to the power of the herd mentality. Human beings feel more confident about taking action on something (including spending money) when they know that other people are doing the same thing and raving about it.That’s why you need to always collect positive comments from fans and share them with other fans. If someone posts a favorable comment on social media, and they have done so publicly, it’s a pretty safe bet they wouldn’t mind you using that comment elsewhere.What I like to do is grab screenshots of such comments – an actual image of the person’s post on Facebook, Twitter, etc. If you’re not sure how to do that, search for “screenshot” followed by the device you are using: PC, Mac, iPhone, etc.When someone sends you a personal message or email that would make a great quote, ask the person for their permission to use the comment. It would probably be a good idea to ask for permission in the social media example above too, just to be safe.Whenever you get these raving comments, take a minute to capture them, ask for permission, and add them to any sales pages you have on your website.

2) Seek out testimonials from music pros

In addition to gathering positive comments from fans, you can beef up your “social proof” by getting raving quotes from people in the music industry. While it’s great when these respected individuals give you unsolicited compliments, most of the time you’ll need to ask for them.So, spend five minutes making a list of music biz people you can approach for a comment. This list might include venue owners, producers, radio disc jockeys, journalists, local mini celebrities, etc.Once you’ve compiled this list, the next time you have a few spare minutes, send a quick email to one of them. Or send a text or make a phone call to one of them and ask. Let them know how much it will help you connect with more fans – and how they’ll get a nice public plug at the same time.

3) Make your sales material shine

Here’s another great way to spend your energy the next time you can devote several minutes to marketing: Look over a piece of sales copy or promotional text.Is there a sales page on your website that promotes your music? Or a social media update that promotes an upcoming gig? Hopefully you answered “Yes.” Pick one and take a good, hard look at the wording.Now count the number of “I/We” references compared to the number of “You” references.“I/We” references read like this:I’m playing Saturday night at Joe’s Bar. I’m really hoping for a good crowd, so please come out and support me!“You” references read like this:Are you looking for a great way to spend this Saturday night? Joe’s Bar is the place you wanna be! I’m playing from 8:00 to Midnight. You’ll love the retro vibe and the beautiful people you’ll hang out with. Hope to see you there!Notice the difference? The “You”-oriented version is much more compelling. It speaks directly to the fan and what they’ll get out of it. The “I”-oriented version is all about the artist. Who cares?Make sure your promotional text has a lot more second-person “You” references than first-person “I/We” references. If you’re first draft is out of balance, take a few minutes to rewrite it now.

4) Identify how your music makes people feel

Along with transforming your sales and promotional copy into “You”-oriented statements, you must also tap into your fans’ feelings and emotions. You must regularly remind people how your music, merchandise and events will make them FEEL.Do you know exactly how most people feel when they experience your music? Is it pumped up or chilled out? Is it sad or inspired? Is it about love lost or satisfaction gained?Make sure your descriptions tap into the feelings and benefits that touch your fans the most. Take a few minutes to look over some existing sales text. If one of your sentences reads …“You’ll really enjoy this album …”Consider changing it to something like …“Owning this music will put a dance party at your fingertips. Your body will groove whenever the spirit moves you!”Use these four tips to entice your fans and put them in a state where they'll be more likely to make a purchase and financially support you.

To learn more about the The Five-Minute Music Marketer book, visit http://bob-baker.com/buzz/five-minute-music-marketer/

Bob Baker is the author of three books in the “Guerrilla Music Marketing” series, along with many other books and promotion resources for DIY artists, managers and music biz pros.You’ll find Bob’s free blog, podcast, video clips and articles at www.TheBuzzFactor.com.